Universal cargo aircraft



June 14, 1949.

J. S. J. HLOBIL W UNIVERSAL CARGQAIRCRAFT 5 Shepts-Shee'b 1 Filed Jan. 19, 1945 INVENTOR JOSEF S J. HLOBIL ATTORNEY June 14, 1949. J. s. J. HLOBIL UNIVERSAL CARGO AIRCRAFT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan 19, 1945 FIG. 7

FIG. 9

INVENTOR.

JOSEF S.J.HLOB|L BY 7 v ATTORNEY June 14, 1949. J. s. J. HLOBIL UNIVERSAL CARGO AIRCRAFT 5 She e'ts-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 19, 1945 INVENTOR. 'JOSEF s. J. HLOBIL BY ATTORNEY June 14, 1949. J. s. .1. HLOBIL UNIVERSAL CARGO AIRCRAFT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 19-, 1945 INVENTOR JOSEF s. J. HLOBIL ATTORNEY:

Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES yATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates particularly to airplanes and the like designed for use as carriers of freight and cargoes of various kinds.

With ordinary airplanes, and with the types of airplanes now being constructed, it is not feasible or even possible to transport all kinds of cargo by air. Some articles and materials, by reason of their particular or delicate nature, have heretofore not been regarded as suited to air transportation. This has been true, for example, of certain foods and delicate chemicals which require protection from extreme variations of temperature or atmospheric pressure, or which require other special packing to avoid danger of injury. While exceptional provisions can be made for transporting such materials by air in small quantities in a special emergency, the extra time and expense involved have prevented the use of air transportation on a wider scale for such materials. Other articles, by reason of their peculiar shape or dimensions, cannot be carried by ordinary aircraft.

Another problem with the transportation of freight by air, as at present carried on, is the necessity for the proper distribution of the cargo weight in the airplane so that proper balance may be maintained. This requirement often necessitates considerable time and care in the loading of a cargo-carrying airplane, and, when only part of the cargo is unloaded, further rearranging of the remaining cargo in the airplane may be necessary. Such delays in extra handling naturally increase the cost of air transportation of freight.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved type of cargo-carrying airplane by which special kinds of freight, heretofore not considered adapted for air transportation, can be carried as readily as any other kinds of freight now commonly transported by air.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cargo airplane in which the cargo will be car-- ried in a special compartment located below the wing spars of the wing center section, instead of being carried in the fuselage or in the wings, so that oversized and odd sized ieces of freight can readily be accommodated.

A further object is to provide an improved cargo airplane with a special freight compartment which can be detached from the main body of the airplane and handled as a separate unit,

thus enabling such compartment to be loaded or unloaded while away from the airplane and thus enabling the loading or unloading to be performed under more efficient conditions and at the same time making possible other use of the airplane during the tire required for such loading or unloading.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a moderate size airplane with a removable freight compartment and to provide means by which the position of the compartment may be adjusted on the airplane in order to obtain proper balancing of the airplane regardless of the actual distribution of weight in the freight compartment itself, thus eliminating the necessity of reloading or repacking such freight compartment when the weight of the freight in the compartment is not evenly or properly distributed.

A still further object is to provide a simple means for attaching such a separate freight compartment to a carrier plane in which the desired proper weight distribution of the loaded plane can be immediately indicated and the compartment so attached as to attain such weight balancing without delay.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a carrier airplane which can be used in combination with any one of a number of different freight compartments, either large or small in size, and of an extensive variety of shapes, and to provide compartments constructed for special service requirements and, further, to arrange each compartment so that it can be attached to or detached from the carrier airplane in the same manner and with equal facility regardless of the size, shape or contents of the freight compartment.

These objects, and other advantages, I attain by constructing a carrier airplane adapted to having attached to it a special freight compartment, by arranging to have the cabin, fuselage and wings of the airplane all located above the horizontal plane determined by the top of the freight compartment where attached to the airplane, and by constructing the freight compartments and arranging the means for attaching and securing each compartment to its carrier airplane in the manner hereinafter briefly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in isometric perspective, taken from below, of a cargo airplane constructed in accordance with my invention, but with the freight compartment entirely removed from the airplane, the airplane being designed for use either with or without the freight compartment;

Figure 2 is an illustration of one type of freight compartment adapted to be attached to and used with the airplane of Figure 1;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are similar illustrations of other types of freight compartments adapted for use with the cargo airplane, the type of the compartment depending upon the nature of the freight or cargo to be carried;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation, with the near side wing broken away, of the airplane of Figure 1, showing the airplane resting with its landing gear on the ground and the freight compartment of Figure 2 in position under the airplane and ready to be raised and locked in place;

Figure 7 is a front view of the same airplane showing the same freight compartment secured to the airplane for transportation;

Figures 8 and 9 are side elevations of thesame airplane, with the near side nacelle and'wing broken away, illustrating other typeslof freight compartments secured to the airplane;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary and more or less diagrammatic transverse section through the central-wing body portion of the airplane, corresponding to line Ill-l of Figure 12;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary section on line H H of Figure 10, showing the driving gears for the hoisting mechanism;

Figure 12 is a fragmentary section through the wing body portion of the airplane, similar in part to Figure 6 and showing the freight-compartment in attached position, this section also corresponding to the line l2-I2 of Figure 10;

Figure 13 is an enlarged elevation of a latching mechanism for locking the freight compartment to the airplane;

Figure 14 is a view in isometric perspective of a helicopter constructed in accordance with my :3

invention;

Figures 15 and 16 are side and end elevations respectively of the helicopter ofFigure 14 with a freight compartment secured in place;

Figure 17 is a fragmentary top plan view of a special cargo-supporting frame adapted to be secured to the airplane;

Figure 18 is an end view of-the same cargo frame; and

Figure '19 is a similar end view showing the cargo frame in folded position for convenience when the same is not being used.

Referring first to Figure 1, the carrier airplane includes the usual fuselage bodylll, wings H, tail section and rudders l2, and nacelles IS with retractable landing gears, motors and propellers.

The main distinction between the design of this cargo airplane and ordinary airplanes is that the bottom 14 of the main body section or portion of the fuselage below the central wing section is a, substantially fiat surface and, furthermore, as shown more clearly in Figures 6, 8 and 9, the bottom contour of the wings cannot be below this flat bottom surface, and in fact no portion of the airplane itself extends below this flat buttom surface 1 l 4 except the nacelles and the bottom tips of the two spaced vertical rudders. The importance of this feature will become apparent with the further description of the utility of the cargo airplane.

The airplane is equipped with a pair of hoisting hooks l (shown more clearly in Figure on the ends of cables extending downward from each side of the central body portion, and is also provided with four locking devices It for seouring the cargo compartment to the airplane. These hoists and locking devices will be described more fully later and they are operated by suitable mechanism located within the airplane. body.

In Figure 2 I-show one type of freight compartment adapted to be employed in my invention. This compartment has an oval tub-shaped body l1, and the compartment has two flat top deck sections I8 at each end. A securing rail I9 is formed at the top of each side of the compartment, extending along each side between the deck portions l8 and located slightly below the top of the deck portions. The securing rail 19 on each side is shown more clearly in Figure 12. This securing. rail may be formed in a-nurnber of different ways but'the particular rail illustrated in Figure 12 comprises a bar 20, extending the full length of the rail, with a metal sheet 2| looped over thebar, both ends of the metal sheet then being secured to the body structure of the freight compartment. A number of cutout portions 22 of the same size in the metal sheet 2i are equally spaced along the rail, as shown in Figure 12, to furnish holds for the hoisting hooks l5, enabling the hoisting hooks toengage the bar in lifting the compartment into position, and-alsoefurnishing similar holds for'the-locking idevices 16 to enable the locking hooks 23 (Fig.13) of: the locking devices to engage thebar Zdsimilarly when the compartmentis locked intoposition on the I in any suitable manner, for exampleaby'a reversible motor 26 andgearchain 2'l (also shown in Fig. 11). Thus, operation of the motor '26 in one direction'willlower the hoisting --ho'oks'-l5, and operation in the opposite direction will raise them.

Each of the pair of locking devices 1'6 ateach side (see Figs. 12 and 13) inclu-des a 'pivotally mounted hook member 23 which, inlocked posi tion, bears against a rigidly attached'outside stop 28. Thus, when the hook 23 is inthe locked position illustratedin Fig. 13, the 'bar -20 of thecompartment securing rail willbeheldfirmlyand securely in position bythe hook 23jand the stop '28. The locking device -16 includes' *any suitable mechanism for securely holding thejho ok 23 in locking position and also for releasingjthe hook quickly when desired. Themechanism illustrated in Fig. 13 is somewhat similar to the bomb-shackle devices used for carrying and releasing heavy bombs, thus movement of the control, lever 29 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 13, causes the attached locking disk 30 to disengagefthe latch 31, permitting the bar 32 to be moved to the left, but when all-the parts are in' the ,pos itionfshown in Fig, 13 the hook will be'securely held in locked position as long as-the control jlever giiis not operated. The control. levers .29 jotthej. four locking devices l6 are connected to a'suitable'central control (not shown) so that they may bejoperated simultaneously from within the airplane.

The locking devices [6 at each, sidaof the fuselage body are locatedimmediately below the wing spars 33 and 34 ..(Fig. 12) of the wingcenter section. In other words,the fouri points at the bottom of the carrier airplane ,atswhich the freight compartmentis secured are at'thestrong- ,est part, of the airplane structure, causingthe in Fig. 2 has been loaded and is ready fbntransportation' thecompartment is placed in a suitable location and theai'rplane is moved'into'positicn over the loaded compartment as shown in Fig. 6. The hoisting hook l5 at each side is then attached to the approximate center point of the securing rail on that side of the compartment, the location of the point at which the hoisting hooks are attached being the same on both sides of the compartment. If the freight compartment has been so loaded that the weight is evenly distributed and the freight compartment thus properly balanced, the attaching of the hoisting hooks at the central point of the rail at each side will enable the two hoisting hooks to lift the compartment and balance the same, whereupon the compartment will be raised until the top decks is are flush against the bottom surface [4 of the central body portion of the airplane, whereupon the four locking devices It are operated to secure the compartment to the airplane and the pull on the hoisting hooks is then released. The airplane is now loaded aid ready for a flight.

It will be noted from Fig. 6 that the hoisting cables and the drums on which they are mounted are located nearer the forward wing spar 3'3 and further from the rear wing spar 34. This is the proper location for the hoisting cables since the cables should be in transverse alignment with the center of gravity of the airplane and such center of gravity is customarily nearer the forward wing spar. In other words, if the center of weight of a freight compartment corresponds to the center of gravity of the carrier airplane then the freight load will be properly disposed on the airplane.

Thus far in this description it has been assumed that the freight compartment was so packed that it will be perfectly balanced when the hoisting hooks are attached to the center points of the securing rails in lifting the compartment from the ground. In all probability, however, this will not be the case. Let it now be assumed, therefore, that the loading of the compartment has resulted in more weight being placed at the forward end of the compartment. When the hoisting hooks are now attached to the centers of the securing rails and the compartment lifted slightly from the ground, the forward end will be found to tip downwardly since this is the heavier end. In such case the compartment is set back on the ground and the hoisting hooks are moved one space forward on the securing rails. The compartment is again hoisted from the ground and if the front end still tips downwardly, the hoisting hooks are again reset until the center of weight is found for the compartment. When this is done the compartment is hoisted in position and secured to the airplane in the usual manner. Although the compartment will now be located more rearwardly with respect to the airplane than if the compartment had been loaded in perfect balance at the start, this change of position of the compartment with respect to the airplane does not matter since the freight load will nevertheless be properly positioned on the airplane. Thus, even if the compartment has not been properly loaded it can nevertheless be attached in such position that the proper positioning of the freight load on the airplane is assured.

The importance of this feature of adjustably positioning the freight department can be readily understood when the difficulty and length of time required in loading cargo airplanes under ordinary circumstances are considered. One of the problems at present with the transportion of freight by air is the necessity for properly balancing the cargo load in the airplane. Due, to the fact that I provide an adjustable mounting for the cargo load in my invention, the labor and time required for properly balancing the load to be carried by the airplane are reduced to the very minimum. The'unloading of the cargo from the airplane also requires only a minimum of time and labor. With the airplane resting on its landing gears the locking devices are released and the freight compartment is lowered to the ground by the hoisting hooks. A second loaded freight compartment can then immediately be substituted for the compartment which has been released and the airplane will then be in readiness to continue on its way with the new cargo without delay. However, if only part of the freight is to be removed from the original compartment and the remainder is to continue on its course with the airplane, the original compartment can again be attached to the airplane. Due to the feature of adjustably positioning the freight compartment on the airplane no repacking or redistribtution of the remaining freight in the compartment will ordinarily be required, since any ordinary shifting of the weight center of the compartment, due to the unloading of part of the freight, can be offset by adjusting the relative position of the compartment on the airplane for the second stage of the journey.

The fact that the cargo load is always supported at four fixed points at the strongest part of the airplane structure, and also the fact that the load is always properly balanced in my invention, enables airplanes of minimum size empennage to be used since there will be little change in the position of the center of gravity regardless of whether the airplane is unloaded, carrying a small load, or carrying a maximum load.

There is an added advantage in the fact that in case of an emergency the airplane pilot can immediately get rid of the entire freight load, if necessary, merely by dropping th freight compartment from the airplane, without danger of hitting any part of the airplane in doing so, and consequently in such emergency a better chance is afforded to save the airplane thus lightened.

changeably.

The airplane can be flown very satisfactorily without any freight load and without any freight compartment attached. The cargo airplane in itself is so designed as to be aerodynamically clean and efficient.

Although so far in this description I have referred to the freight compartment illustrated in Figures 2 and 6 as the compartment which is attached to the carrier airplane, many other types of freight compartments can be employed inter- Thus, the freight compartment shown in Fig. 3, equipped with end doors 35, might be more suitable for some purposes and for some kinds of freight. In Fig. 4 I show another type of compartment suitable for carrying liquids. This compartment, in the form shown, comprises two large cylindrical tanks 36, secured to a central body support 31. It will be noted that the body support 37 of this particular compartment is not provided with securing rails similar to the rails IQ of the compartment shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The reason for this is that when the tanks 36 are full the proper balancing of the compartment load will be assured and thus no adjusting of the position of the compartment with respect to the airplane will be required. Consequently, in place of the securing rails at the sides I find it necessary with this particular type of compartment to provide merely a central hole 42 near the topof each side to be engaged by the hoisting hooks and the compartment 43.

Ma pairof holes 43 to be engaged similarlyuby the -'-hooks' of the locking; devices.

1 Another type offreightcompartment or freight carrier isshown in Fig. 5, and may be used for .In Fig. 8 a long pole 4! is shown supported by Additional steadyin braces (not shown) can, if desired, be secured tothe pole and to holding means located on .the airplane bottom forwardly and rearwardly of the compartment 46. Obviously, such an article of freight could not be transported bythe various :cargo airplanes now being used, due tothe size .and length of the article of freight.

.- In my invention, though thepole kmay be considerably longer than the airplane itselfl the fact that the fuselage structure and empennage ;-are located above the top of thefreight compartment, with the nacelles and landing gears spaced atsome distance from the sides of the same, en-

ables objects to be carried without any necessity .of, limiting them to the size of the airplane.

In Fig. 9 a similarly shaped compartment or carrier 42 is used for a log, tank, or. other cylindrical object :23 of relatively large diameter. It

. would obviously be impossible to transport the article of freight illustrated in this figure with an ordinary cargo carrying airplane of the relative ,size shown in the figure, if the cargo. were required to be placed within the airplane or carried by the airplane in the usual manner.

jj Although I consider the airplane shown in Fig. 1

. to be the preferred form of cargo airplane for;

carrying out my invention, nevertheless :the

-- freight compartments can also be carried by other forms of aircraft. For example, when a cargo compartment is to be moved from an airplane landing field to a more convenient point Within a. city, a helicopter could be very satisfactorily used for this purpose. In Fig. 14 Ishow ahelicopter 44. having a bottom surface it: similar to the bottom surface i i of the airplane of Fig. 1. The helicopter is similarly provided with a pair of .hoisting hooks l5, located in the same vertical plane. as the center of gravity of the helicopter, and four locking devices I of the type previously described.

The mechanism for operating the hoisting hooks and also the control mechanism forthe locking devices are the same as previously described and are located within the helicopter.

' Figs. 15 and 16 show a freight compartment .46 attach ed to the helicopter. Thus while theair-plane of Fig. 1 can be used for transportingi'the freight. compartment 46 from one cityto another; the helicopter can be used for transporting thefreight compartment to the roof of a warehouse within a city from the landing field, or .vice versa. The freight compartment is similar tothat shown in Fig. 3, but obviously any type offreightcompartment suitable for use with the airplane of Fig. 1 could also be used with thehelicopter, of

Figs. 14,15 and 16.

The freight compartments employed in my invention need not necessarily be in the form, of containers, although ordinarily such form will be preferable. In Figs. 17, 18 and 19 Ijshow a folding cargo-carrying frame which may .be'conveniently employed for odd pieces, shapes and sizes which can b attached to a carrying frame by ropes or cables. The frame illustrated in Figs.

1'7, 18 and 19, comprises two sections -4 l and'48, which are hinged together along the top medial longitudinalline by hinge elements 49 through whicharodor hinge .pintle 53 extends.

Each sec- ..ztion'includes a plurality of pairs of transversely ;;.extending strut: plates .50, and a bifurcated ".'bracket .51 is attached at the outer end of each pairiopplatesifio. The tWo arms of the bracket .5! have registeringv holesthrough which a longiatudinal bar 52 extends. The portions of the bar 6.52 betweenwthekbracket arms provide points at ?-which the hoisting hooks I5 and the locking devices-16 can be attached. When the frame is 'wnot'in use the sections can be swung together on the central hinge and the fram placed in ithe. folded position shown in Fig. 19, which causes *the frame to take up less room and enables it to be moved around more conveniently. When the frame is to be used with the airplane or helicppter it is held in the open position shown in FigS.-17 and 18 by inserting a rod 5% through -alternate elements along the center of the frame bottom similar to-the hinge elements 39 on the 7 top. Rings, hooks or metal loops 55, secured to the bottoms of the transverse plates tit, provide ..convenient means for attaching ropes or cables used forsecuring articles of freight to the cargo ..-'fr.ame. The framemay be covered, if desired, with any suitable material.

Obviously many other variations and modifica- .,tions are possible within the scope of my invention. The types of freight compartments, the .kinds of freight which can profitably be transvsported by theemployment of different types of freight. compartments under my invention, and

- the. purposes for which standardized carrier .airplan'es could be used for carrying freight are .pi actically limitless. With my invention freight 4 I have; described I have selected for the purpose of illustration due to the fact that such rtisans-shows a simple and practical manner of .car-ry ingv utthe principles of my invention.

Iclaim:

,Thecombination of an airplane of the character' described having a main bottom surface :below; they-center 'wing section, the fuselage,

-.-. empennage and wings of said. airplane located above said bottom surface, nacelles in said airplane said nacelles mounted in the wing struc- :.tures and spaced from the-main fuselage, and. a :;:detachable freight compartment adapted to be attached. tosaid airplane below said bottom surface,: hoisting means in said airplane for said .ccompartment, said hoisting means extending "downwardfromsaid bottom surface, said hoisting meansincluding a hook at each side of said 1. .bottom surface, said hooks located substantially in the. same -transverse vertical plane with the centerflof gravity of the airplane, cooperating means on saidcompartment for attaching said '.-"h'ooks, said compartment cooperating means ,..bein'g-lccated at corresponding sides of said com- .partment and so constructed and arranged that =-the points of attachment of said hooks to said compartment can be adjusted longitudinally on saidfcompartment, whereby sai hooks can be attached at points in transverse alinement with the -center of weight of said compartment even tl'iough the-freight in said compartment is not evenly distributed, thereby bringing the center of weight of said compartment in line withthe center of gravity of said airplane when saidlcompartment is hoisted to said airplane, locking devices in said bottom of said airplane for holding said compartment locked in position against said airplane bottom when said hoisting means has lifted said compartment into contact with said bottom, said locking devices being located directly below the two main wing spars of the wing center section of the fuselage of said airplane; whereby the weight of said compartment jwill always be supported at the strongest part or the airplane structure, and whereby said compart ment load can be quickly and properly positioned; on said airplane, the location of wings, fuselage and empennage with respect to said bottom jsur-' face making possible the carrying of oversize objects by said'airplane.

JOSEF s. J. HLOBIL. m

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date 

